Farm gate



Feb. 28, 1961 o. w. STILLWELL ETAL' ,972,825

FARM GATE Filed Nov. 28, 1958 INVENTOR.

FARM GATE Filed Nov. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 776,828

1 Claim. (Cl. 39-75) This invention relates to improvements in yard gates and more particularly to the novel construction and assembly of a gate of a character having one or more normally closed passage openings therethrough.

Yard gates usually are sufficiently large to permit passage through the opening normally closed thereby of vehicles or farm animals. Ordinarily, no means is provided whereby only a portion of the opening can be made available for the passage of an individual or an animal of small size. In such instances it is necessary to move the entire gate into an open or partially open condition. This very often proves to be difficult because of the size and weight of the gate and is objectionable because it makes it possible for large farm animals to pass through the opening unless extreme caution is practiced.

The present invention has for one of its objects the provision of a gate within a gate so as to allow for opening of a passage considerably smaller in size than the passage normally closed by the gates.

Another object is to provide a rugged yard gate of novel inexpensive construction.

Another object is to provide a yard gate with an opening therein that is closed normally by a secondary gate mounted entirely within the physical structure and dimensions of the yard gate.

The structure by means of which the above noted and other advantages of the invention are attained will be described in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational'view of the yard gate in closed condition.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1 showing the secondary gate in open position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings the yard gate 11 is rectangular in shape and is comprised of upper and lower rails 12, 13 respectively, and connecting end rails 14, 15, all formed preferably from heavy gauge metal tubular stock suitably mitered at their ends and joined as by welding 16. A pair of intermediate posts 17, 17a, also preferably comprised of lengths of tubular metal stock of a size comparable to rails 12, 15, are arranged to extend between and are welded, as at 18, to upper and lower rails 12, 13 to provide a rigid structure. Extending between posts 17, 17a and between post 17a and end rail 15 are a plurality of vertically spaced rods or stringers 19 each of which is welded, as at 21, or otherwise secured firmly to the related post or rail. Although the rods 19 are shown'as being separately mounted it is obvious that the intermediate post 17a can be apertured to receive rods 19 therethrough in which event the rods will be of suflicient length to extend from post 17 to rail 15.

tates Patent i? Patented Feb. 28, 1961 The yard gate is adapted to be mounted at one end by means of suitable hinge elements 22 to a standard 23 so as to be hingedly movable into open and closed positions.

Mounted in gate 11, as an integrated part thereof is a secondary gate 24 adapted, when in the closed condition shown in Fig. 1, to close the space between post 17 and end rail 14. This secondary gate is comprised of an upright 25 arranged in the plane of said main gate 11 and having its ends terminate short of upper and lower rails 12, 13. A loop or ring 26, welded or otherwise secured firmly to the upper end of upright 25 surrounds upper rail 12 loosely so as to afford suspension means for upright 25. A similar loop or ring 27 secured firmly, as by welding, to the lower end of upright 25 surrounds and embraces lower rail 13 loosely.

A plurality of vertically spaced rods or stringers 28 are secured at one of their ends, as by welding 29, to said upright 25. These rods lie in a plane offset from and parallel to the plane of rods 19 and one is in substantial alignment vertically with each of said rods 19. The rods 28 extend freely through holes 31 in post 17 so as to locate their free end portions in back of and in overlapped relation to respective rods 19. A strap 32, secured at one end to the free end of uppermost rod 28. is arched over companion rod 19 and then is extended downwardly across the front face of all of said rods 19 and rearwardly beneath the lowermost rod 19. The lower free end of said strap is secured, as by welding, to the free end of the lower rod 28. In this manner an elongated loop-like arrangement is provided for guiding the free ends of the rods 28 along rods 19 when the secondary gate 24 is moved into open and closed positions.

In order to prevent inadvertent opening of secondary gate 24 when it is in the fully closed position shown in Fi 1, the upper rail 12 is formed or otherwise provided with a cam lug 33 having a cam surface over which loop 26 rides so as to be located behind a shoulder 34 when the secondary gate is in closed condition. In order to open said gate 24, it must be lifted bodily a distance sufficient to clear lug 33 after which it may he slid into the open condition shown in Fig. 2.

Although the invention is disclosed as being fabricated entirely of metal tubing and rods it is not intended that the application should be restricted to a metal construction because the features thereof can be incorporated in a structure comprised wholly or in part of wood or other suitable material.

Although we have described a preferred embodiment of our invention in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many details of the structure shown may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, we do not desire to be restricted to the exact construction described.

We claim:

A gate structure of a character including a rectangular frame comprised of top, bottom and end rails, a plurality of rigid posts in said frame extending between said top and bottom rails and being spaced apart and from the end rails, rods bridging the space between said posts and between one post and an adjacent end rail, said rods being integrally secured to said one end rail and posts, an upright extending between the top and bottom rails arranged in the space between the other end rail and the adjacent post, an inverted U-shaped strap on the upper end of said upright slidably embracing the top rail for suspending the upright therefrom, a U-shaped strap on the lower end of said upright slidably embracing the bottom rail, rods carried by said upright complemental to the rods in the frame, said last named rods slidably extending through apertures in the adjacent post and having their free end portions overlying the complemental rods and lying in a plane parallei to said complemental rods, a strap carried vby the free end portions and bridging the complemental rods and a shoulder on the upper rail normally lying in the path or" the upper U-shaped strap to resist initial movement of the upright and its rods from a position closing the opening into an open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

